From Bryan Hulbert
TULSA, OK (January 8, 2026) — The O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions. The annual showdown to kick off the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink, featuring Chili Bowl winners, series champions, and invited talent, is on Monday, January 12, 2026.
Set to be the 18th edition of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions, the 2025 event was topped by Christopher Bell, marking the third time since 2020 that the Norman, Okla. driver has captured the win in the 25-lap affair. One of 23 overall drivers in this year’s field, the roster is steeped with talent at all levels.
2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions Roster:
• 1 Sammy Swindell – A legend of the sport, and the winningest driver in Chili Bowl history.
• 1S Spencer Bayston – Winner of the 2023 O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions.
• 2H Jesse Love – Invited to compete as the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion.
• 11F Kaylee Bryson – Invited to compete as the 2025 Trans Am GTX Champion. Kaylee is also the first woman to ever lock into Saturday night’s A-Feature.
• 12H Sam Hafertepe, Jr. – Invited as the 2025 National Champion of the American Sprint Car Series. He is now a six-time titlist with the series.
• 17W Shane Golobic – A lot of solid runs atop Tulsa Expo Raceway clay, last year’s podium finish locked Shane into the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions.
• 19R Ricky Thornton, Jr. – Invited to compete as the 2025 regular season champion of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
• 21AU Kaidon Brown – Invited to compete as the now two-time Australian Speedcar Champion.
• 21CB Christopher Bell – The three-time Chili Bowl powered by NOS Energy Drink Champion, Bell, enters this year as an owner/driver.
• 27X Kalib Henry – With the Napa Auto Parts All Stars Circuit of Champions presented by Valvoline back in full swing, the invite is again extended to their champion, and in 2025, that was Kalib.
• 39A Emerson Axsom – Winner of Wednesday’s York Plumbing Qualifying Night in 2025.
• 39G Kyle Cummins – Invited to compete as the 2025 USAC Amsoil Sprint Car National Champion.
• 39 Logan Seavey – Back-to-back Chili Bowl powered by NOS Energy Drink champion in 2023 and 2024, Seavey also picked up Friday’s Hard Rock Hotel Casino, Tulsa preliminary night in 2025.
• 41 Corey Day – Meeting criteria via a third-place finish in 2024, the defending Turkey Night Grand Prix champion will go full-time in 2026 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Hendrick Motorsports.
• 57 Kyle Larson – The defending Champion of the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink, as well as 2025 NASCAR Cup Series titlist.
• 57W Landon Brooks – Tuesday’s Warren CAT qualifying night win lands the California driver in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions
• 67 Jacob Denney – Invited to compete as the 2026 Xtreme Outlaw Midget and POWRi Midget National Champion.
• 71 Ryan Timms – Invited to compete as the 2025 winner of the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s.
• 71W Buddy Kofoid – Getting the nod from his runner-up finish in 2024, Kofoid is also the 2025 New Zealand Midget champion, which he also topped in 2024.
• 71K Cannon McIntosh – Invited to compete as the 2025 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Champion.
• 86 Daison Pursley – A runner-up finish in the 2025 championship event and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race of Champions puts Daison in this year’s showdown.
• 87 Justin Grant – Invited to compete as the 2025 USAC Silver Crown Champion.
• 88T Tanner Thorson – Champion of the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink in 2022, Thorson also won Thursday’s Hasty Bake qualifying night in 2025.
The standards for an invitation are:
• Drivers finishing in the Top 3 of Saturday night’s A-Feature during the previous five Chili Bowls will be eligible.
• Drivers finishing in the Top 2 of the past five Race of Champions events will be eligible.
• Preliminary Night Winners from the most recent Chili Bowl will be eligible.
• Series Champions from the most recent calendar year in the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, American Sprint Car Series National Tour, High Limit National and Mid-Week, USAC National Midgets, USAC National Sprint Cars, USAC Silver Crown, and POWRi Midget League, and Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will be invited to compete.
• Champions and Drivers of other Tours and Series may be added at the Chili Bowl’s discretion.
• No Driver substitutions or alternates from a sanctioning body will be allowed.
• Starting Lineup for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Invitational Race Of Champions will be set by Group Qualifying. Drivers will draw for their qualifying position, then qualify in groups of three to four. Drivers will get two warmup laps, then three green flap laps to set their time. The driver with the fastest overall time in Qualifying will draw for the inversion (0, 4, 6, or 8).
Monday reserved seats are on sale at the event office in the SageNet Center, or by phone at (918) 838-3777.